You Don't Need Wings to Fly
by IAmInMyOwnLittleWorld
Summary: Max Ride is an average teenage girl, until one day she meets a man on her way to school who claims he's legally blind, homeless, and lonely. Will he teach her she doesn't need wings to soar?


**Ever wondered what the flock and others would be like if they were in high school?** **I'm trying to make this as non-cliche as possible, so don't expect this to be all fax-y, although there will be a bit of fax...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Max POV  
**

"C'mon, Ari, we're gonna be late for school!" I cried to my seven year old cousin as he stumbled across the sidewalk in the snow.

"I'm tryin', Max, but it's too slippery!"

As he said that, he slipped and fell on a patch of ice, landing his head right on the concrete. Almost instantly, he burst into tears, wailing like a dying animal might when poked with a large stick.

"Ari, get up, get up, get up!" I said, trying to hush him, but he kept crying. People started to stare, but I just waved them along, I hated it when people stared.

"I want my moooommmmyyyyyy!" he sobbed, which kinda made me feel bad. Ari's mom had been killed in a car wreck a few months ago, and it was my adult step-brother Jeb and my duty to take care of him. Sadly, that meant I walked him to elementary school each day.

"Seems like you have a problem here," said a voice from behind.

I turned around. There was an extremely tall kid with shaggy blond hair and pale blue eyes, smirking. He seemed around late teens, early twenties.

"Who the heck are you, may I ask?" I said in a not-so-polite tone. Which, if you've red this so far, you've probably guessed that.

"I am Jeff, but it seems everyone calls me Iggy. Long story, and I don't wanna bore you with the details," he said. "And who are you and the crying... child?"

"Max Ride, and this crying child is Ari," I said tightly. "And why'd you say 'child' like you weren't sure? D'you think he's in college?"

He coughed awkwardly and said, "I'm, ah, legally blind. I mean, I can see, but it's like super blurry. I should be wearing glasses, but..."

He shrugged.

"Uh-huh," I said, almost boredly. "Well, Iggy, I have better things to do than talk to you. Hasta la viesta."

I picked up the now just sniffling Ari and made my way to his elementary school. He was so lucky his school was right next to mine or else I'd make him walk himself. And Ari alone is a bad thing. He's the type of kid who'd say, "I'll only help you find your dog, kind stranger, if you give me some candy." or something like that.

"Wait!" cried Iggy. "I-that is-can I go with you?"

"Don't you already go to school?" I said, kinda fed up with him. I really needed to go so-as to get on time.

"No," he said, looking down. "I... you better not laugh, but me and Angel, we live on the streets. Kinda sucks, but we get by. The thrift store is real nice and lets is get one free thing a month, so we get by."

"Because I believe that," I said, smiling evilly. "Have a nice life."

I turned around and he cried, "No, it's true! I'll prove it! Drop the kid off, then come back here, alright? I'll show you my place an' everything"

"Interesting offer, but I have school," I said.

"Afraid to ditch?"

"No," I said. "Just afraid of dirty hobos, but I'll accept your offer if you leave me alone after that."

"I promise," he said. "Now go and drop the kid off at school and hurry back."

"Okay," I said, walking to the school.

"Jeb said no talkin' to strangers, Max," said Ari in his sternest voice as possible. "And no goin' places with strangers either!"

"Oh, I'm not really going with him," I whispered smugly. "That was just to make that guy leave me alone. I don't think I'll ever see him again, really."

" 'kay, Max, whatever you say."

---

"And then, he was like 'Come with me, Max, and I'll show you angels!' or something like that," I told me best friends, Nudge and Ella during lunch. "I think the dude was on drugs, but I humored him, told him I was gonna come with him after I dropped Ari off. I showed him, through, when I never came back!"

"Ooh, I dunno, Max," said Ella. "Homeless men can be dangerous. My dad, he got mugged by a couple of homeless dudes one time... maybe you shoulda went with him, just so he wouldn't bother you again..."

"And then what, get kidnapped?!" exclaimed Nudge. "Really, Ella, why do you have to be so gloomy? Why can't you be hyper like me?! Speaking of hyper, I found this one song on youtube, it's so crazy but I forgot the name and-"

"Calm, Nudge, okay? Deep breaths," said Ella. "And Max, I think maybe we should go with you on your walk home. You may have gotten this Iggy dude angry. Don't wanna risk it."

"Excuse me, but did you say Iggy?" said a man from behind. I turned around, as did Nudge and Ella.

Oh great, it was Fang the emo kid. Such a creep. Black hair, black clothes, stoic expression, and always carrying a notepad which is said to be full of gruesome drawings. His real name was something like Robert, but everyone called him Fang, if they spoke to him at all.

Last year, Fang had spread rumors I was engaged to him, so now we had a grudge.

"Yes, we did say Iggy," I said. "Go crawl back to your emo corner now."

"No wait," said Nudge. "Do you know a hobo named Iggy? Talks about angels, and stuff? Max says he's legally blind, and-"

"Yeah, I know him. Used to be friends until a few months ago."

"Is he a thug?" asked Ella.

"Iggy? Nah. He's more of just a dude that isn't the luckiest. He's been on the streets since he, his sister, and his pet bulldog ran away from foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. ter Borsht. I think he's sixteen now, if I'm correct."

"Because I trust the emo kid," I said, rolling my eyes.

He got a bit furious, as he normally did when people excessively call him emo. Just as expected. Hopefully his eyeliner doesn't wear off when he cries.

"I'm not an emo kid!" he groaned. "Why does everyone think I'm emo?"

"Let's see," started Nudge. "Black hair, black clothes, black notebook, scarred wrists from your emo cutting-"

"These?!" he sad, pulling up his sleeves. "Those aren't from cutting, they're from my dog, Total!"

"What kind of a dog name is Total?" said Ella.

"My kind of a dog!"

"Uh-huh," I said. "Well, anyways, thanks for the help about Iggy, but... yeah, no thanks. Come on, the bell just rang, time for next period."

**Tell me your honest opinion. Is it sucky, cliche, even? Review!**


End file.
